Coming Home
by gingerbreadbear
Summary: A homesick soldier longing for the Midgar he knew. A bartender with a sad smile longing for the someone she loved. — gift fic for obsessivecompulsivevalkyrie — cloti, hints of fack — AUish.


**coming home**  
for obsessivecompulsivevalkyrie  
an AU (of sorts) - cloud/tifa, zack/tifa**  
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It was a time when all people wanted to do was forget about their problems. With some good alcohol, there was no war with Wutai, no bill due tomorrow, no extended working hours… But not even Corel wine could cure Cloud Strife's homesickness.

Midgar had changed. A lot. It was almost a different city. Ever since leaving for the war, all he had ever done was dream of home. Midgar was home. But now it felt different; now, it didn't feel like home. Cloud wanted to go back–go back to the days when sunlight still reached the slums, when he would fall asleep in the safe circle of his mother's arms, when there were people he could call family, and when he just _was_… It was a stupid dream. But _she_, if only for a moment, made it seem possible. She–Tifa Lockhart, the bar hostess and singer of 7th Heaven–made it feel like he had never left.

He would often sit in a booth in the corner of 7th Heaven, watching her. She was young–around his age–and beautiful, with kind red-brown eyes and an easy smile. Cloud didn't know why he was drawn to her. Maybe it was the way her heart seemed so impossibly torn that it couldn't be broken any further. Or maybe it was her lilting voice, so familiar and nostalgic, that spun words into the air and left his stomach in sickening knots. No, it was because she, more than anyone, made him feel at home.

She wasn't like the others, Cloud could tell. She didn't drown her sorrows in alcohol, or push the problem aside–she faced it, head on; no turning back, no running away. She knew there was a war; she could face that reality. In a way, she had more courage than anyone–even Cloud.

But Tifa seemed… sad. There was often a bittersweet smile on her face, a slight stoop in her shoulders–like she couldn't bear the weight of her inner demons. Sometimes, Cloud noticed, she would pause and look out the window with a longing gaze. As if waiting for something or _someone_. She would only ever stop for a moment, before sighing and continuing her work. He wondered if she wished for something more than being a bartender, of if she had family in the war.

One night, Cloud was surprised when Tifa came and sat opposite him in the booth. She had just finished her last song, and he supposed she had finished her shift too.

"Hey," she greeted simply, twirling a glass of wine in her hand. Cloud said nothing, only searched her face questioningly. Her eyes were dark and unreadable in the dim bar light, but a slight smile quirked the corner of her lips. "I've noticed you come here a lot, and I thought I might join you. You seemed lonely. Do you mind?" Her voice was rich and smooth.

"Not at all." Cloud said.

Her smile grew wider. "So, do you have a name?"

"Cloud. Cloud Strife."

"Cloud, huh? Nice to meet you." Tifa grinned and sipped her wine. "If you don't mind me asking, are you one of the soldiers who just returned from Wutai?"

"Yeah. After two years over there, I finally decided to return. I'm glad to be back. I've… missed Midgar." Cloud said honestly. She nodded absently, and drank more of her wine. He noticed a glint of silver on her finger, and, hiding his apparent disappointment, decided to ask a question of his own. He motioned to her ring. "You're engaged?"

Tifa glanced at her ring, and she stiffened slightly. "Not anymore," she murmured softly. Cloud said nothing. With a sigh, she continued. "It's been a year. I don't know why I still wear it. For sentimental reasons, I guess." She laughed humorlessly. "I… I was engaged to a man named Zack Fair. He was a regular customer here, and he made me laugh. He was… quite the ladies' man." She smiled fondly. "He knew how to charm people, and he was a really sweet guy. But he was a soldier. He had served in the army for a long time, and he was really passionate about defending his country. Zack proposed to me the night before he left for Wutai. And after that… well, I never saw him again. News of his death reached me about two months later. But he died doing what he did best. He died for his country..." By this point, Tifa's eyes were glistening with unshed tears. Cloud had the sudden urge to get up and wrap his arms around her, but stopped himself from doing so.

Instead, he squeezed her hand across the table. With a sad smile of his own, he said, "I… I knew him."

"You knew Zack?"

"Yeah. Well, I had only seen him a couple of times at camp and we shared a few words here and there. But there were a lot of stories about him. He was always smiling, always knew how to cheer other people up. He was easygoing, friendly, determined, stubborn… And obnoxious." Cloud added with a chuckle.

"Yeah," Tifa nodded, her breath escaping as a short laugh, "that sounds like him."

"I was glad to know him," Cloud said, half-smiling, and in a lower voice he continued, "but I think… he would've wanted you to be happy. To move on and live out your dreams–and his." The conversation lapsed into silence. Almost embarrassed at his words and afraid he had said too much, Cloud murmured, "Sorry. It's not my business. I guess I just–"

"No, you're right." Tifa interrupted. But her smile was glowing with renewed vigour. "There's no reason to be stuck in the past. I have to live life to the full – twice as full," she laughed, "for Zack. I'm… I'm glad I met you, Cloud. You've… given me some things to think about. Thank you." With a shy smile, she stood and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "I hope I see you again." And with that, Tifa was gone. Cloud pressed a hand to his tingling cheek, hiding a smile.

With her, he was home.

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**a / n : **_HAPPY BIRTHDAY OCV! :D I hope this makes you happy. Sorry about the Zack/Tifa that slipped in here, lol. And to all my other readers, I know I've been dead for ages but I will update For Eternity soon. :)_


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